


Kintsukuroi

by 13Vivacious13



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Allura/Shiro (Voltron), F/M, I promise, Mentions of Non-Consensual Body Modification, angst with a happy ending kinda sorta, mostly just reflecting on the past, nothing too serious happens, shallura - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 01:34:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13307616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/13Vivacious13/pseuds/13Vivacious13
Summary: Shiro is still coming to terms with the past. Allura notices and tries to help the best she can.This is a birthday fic for Breezycheezyart.Also, this is an unofficial sequel to Basorexia, but you don't need to read that understand this.





	Kintsukuroi

 

_kintsukuroi_  
_n. "to repair with gold"; the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken._  
  
Allura finished brushing her hair with a sigh. When she placed the hairbrush on the vanity the quiet click echoed through her vast chambers. She frowned at her reflection and her reflection frowned back, a spark of determination evident in her eyes. This conversation could not be put off any longer.

She had known going into the relationship that it would be different. Humans and Alteans, for all their similarities in appearance, were two completely different species. After she'd impulsively kissed her black paladin, and he had kissed her back, they'd had a long talk about what they wanted and expected from each other. Much to Allura's delight Shiro wanted and craved a relationship as much as she did.

Human courtship, as it turned out, was rather simple. It involved hand holding and gifts, dates and kisses. Subtle glances during team meetings were a must, along with not so subtle kisses that made the younger paladins groan and yell at them to get a room. Even more vital were the talks late at night when they should have been sleeping. When Shiro sat next to her, gazing out the window at stars he'd never seen before and then looking at her as if she was more beautiful than any cosmic wonder, she couldn't keep anything from him. Altea was reborn, if only for a night when she led him on a journey through its rustic countrysides and sprawling cities. He was genuinely curious about her culture and her people. In turn, Shiro took her to Earth, with its strange animals and startling weather patterns.

Of course, there were also the not-so-sweet moments in their relationship. There were the arguments and disagreements that were only heightened by the constant danger they were in. There were the nights when Allura cried herself to sleep from sheer homesickness, and the nights when Shiro screamed himself awake. It got a bit easier for both of them when Allura decided her bed was far too big for one person and invited Shiro to join her. They had yet to do anything... intimate, but the pure comfort that came from holding and being held helped with the loneliness and night terrors.

Allura glanced over at Shiro. He was leaning against several propped up pillows, the glow of a datapad casting sharp shadows where his brow furrowed in concentration. He wore one of the sleeping garments Coran had given to all the paladins when they'd first found the Castle of Lions. Shiro's was a deep purple robe accented with white at the collar and cuffs. The sight alone made her smile. Unlike Lance, who thoroughly appreciated all the finer accouterments of the castle and Altean culture, it had taken weeks for Shiro to relax enough to... well, _relax_.

She never blamed him. He'd spent an entire year enslaved by the Galra Empire, experimented on by Haggar and her druids. To go through so much and then be thrust into a position of leadership as dangerous and demanding as this... Allura genuinely could not understand how he didn't break into pieces.

There were cracks in his facade though if one looked hard enough. The nightmares were the most obvious, but there were other, more troubling signs.  

He avoided touching her with his right hand whenever he could help it. Shiro was subtle about it, of course, but any Altean diplomat worth her salt would have picked up on the extra effort he took to make sure he held or caressed Allura with only his human hand. She never mentioned it, but part of her was saddened by the fact that he felt a need to hide from her. Another part of her wanted to shake him for being so silly. As if she could _ever_ be repulsed by his touch. Her memory still lingered over that moment on the bridge when they'd both been so vulnerable. Allura, with her inability to cope with the responsibility her father had left her, and Shiro taking her by the hand to let her know he felt the same.

Shiro shifted slightly, leaning back further into the pillows. The scar on his nose was plain to see even in the dim light. How many scars did he have? Allura had never seen him undressed, and even now his modest nightwear left everything to the imagination. She knew that he had broad shoulders, and when they cuddled on the couch she could practically feel his washboard abs pressing against her-

Dark grey eyes met hers and Allura felt the heat building in her cheeks. Luckily, Shiro didn't seem to notice. He patted at the mattress and smiled softly, a gentle invitation to join him. Allura did so, her nightgown rustling against the cool metal floor before she crawled up to Shiro's side. He set the datapad on the nightstand and pulled her in for a hug. His left hand - his human hand - intertwined with one of hers while his right stayed at her waist. Allura sighed.

One of Shiro's eyebrows quirked up. "Is something wrong?"

Allura grabbed his Galra hand on impulse, tenderly trapping it between both of hers. She felt his tiny gasp hitch in his chest, tightening her grip ever so slightly when he tried to pull away.

"You do know I love every part of you, right?" she asked, kissing the smooth metal that made up his palm. Another gasp, followed by a shuddering sigh. "I don't know how you do it," she continued. "How you manage to be so brave and so, _so kind_ despite everything that's happened-"

"I could say the same thing about you," Shiro interjected, his voice thick with emotion. He let his head rest on her shoulder, breathing deeply.

Allura smiled softly and peppered kisses on each finger before letting the hand rest on her lap and reaching up to card her fingers through his hair. "I'm not saying that you have to love everything about yourself. I just want you to know that I love you completely. I love your strength and your weakness, your sweetness, and stubbornness." Shifting a bit, she cupped Shiro's face in her hands. He blinked rapidly, trying to curb the tears she could see gathering in the corners of his eyes.

"I hope you know that this..." One hand trailed down to grab his Galra hand, "...Doesn't define you. That what happened- What you went through, isn't the full story. Yes, it's a part of you, and I know you are still coming to terms with what happened and what you had to do to survive." She paused because Shiro had screwed his eyes shut and was shaking from head to toe. After a few seconds, he calmed down, slumping against her hand. Waiting.

"You are what you choose to become from those experiences. And the fact that you choose to be courageous in the face of danger, a leader, my noble paladin..." She leaned forward until their foreheads were touching.

"...How could anyone not love that?"

Shiro sobbed, clutching at her with both arms, and Allura buried her face into the crook of his neck because her eyes weren't exactly dry either. They cried and cried, a little bit of anguish washing away with each tear until they were exhausted, wrung out, and renewed. Allura cuddled up against him, watched as he fell asleep with a smile on his face. She hoped he felt a bit better, and that, with time, he would be more at peace with himself.

At the very least, this seemed like a good start.

**Author's Note:**

> Ack, it's been a while since I've written a birthday fic for someone! I hope y'all like it, especially https://breezycheezyart.tumblr.com/... You know, that amazing member of the Shallura community that I look up to... Go check out her Tumblr, it's great. And wish her a happy birthday!


End file.
